Badin district, which has already been adversely affected by heavy rains, faces the threat of more floods as the multi-billion-rupee Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) – meant to drain sewage and wastewater into the Arabian Sea from the coastal area of Badin – is in the danger zone because the drain has been working more than its capacity for the past couple of days, Pakistan Today has learnt.
According to sources, the heavy machinery of the LBOD management is lying abandoned in different areas of Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Badin and Shaheed Benazirabad districts.
They said the LBOD is presently maintaining 18 feet of rainwater against its capacity of 14 feet, and a wide breach in the drain has occurred at RD-204 in Tharparkar.
The water from the drain and the rainwater of Sanghar and Mirpurkhas districts has worsened the situation, and a large quantity of water could hit the cities of Badin district anytime, they added.
Sources said evacuation of Badin’s cities Pingrio, Khoski, Shadi Larj and Malkani Sharif has been ordered, whereas the district administration has also declared an emergency in these cities.
They said the drainage of 18,000 cusecs to 20,000 cusecs of runaway rainwater into the LBOD from various areas, including Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allah Yar, Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad, has worsened the situation, compelling millions of people to move to safer places.
Left Bank Canals Area Water Board Director Habib Usrani told Pakistan Today that the LBOD in Badin has reached danger zone as the drain has been passing up to 20,000 cusecs of rainwater against its original capacity of 4,600 cusecs.
He said the 210-kilometre drain starts from Shaheed Benazirabad district and has three components, namely Benazirabad, Sanghar and Mirpurkhas districts.
The LBOD has the capacity to pass 14 feet of water; however, the water level of the drain is 18 feet at present, he added.
Usrani said the drain at RD-204 is in depression as the huge quantum of rainwater and floodwater would go into the LBOD in Badin, which could create a flood-like situation in the coming hours.
He said, “Two to six feet runaway rainwater is heading towards Badin district after wreaking havoc with people’s lives and properties. The rainwater is now heading towards Pingrio and Shadi Larj; however, as a precautionary measure, evacuation of Khoski and Malkani Sharif has also been ordered.”
